STABLE PURCHASING POWER.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 196, 17 August 1920, Page 2

STABLE PURCHASING POWER.

(To the Editor.) ■Sir, —What we want established i 3 a wage that automatic-ally moves rela- ■ tively to goods. It is only by this means ' that profiteering will lie discouraged. It all increases in the prices of goods are immediately and universally reflected in increased wages, the temptation to continue tho present £ame of 'beggar-my- , neighbour will bo removed. ■Is such a step feasible? I contend, sir, j that it is. What we want 13 a national basic wage for adult workers fixed in terms of commodities. The wage being ' once fixed, all would ho necessary would be for the Government Statistician to take the prices of the com- I modities every quarter, run out tUe ; items according to the quantities set down in the basic wage budget, add up tho total, and tho result would be the basic wage for the ensuing quarter. All wages should be made to move with the basic wage, all workers being given the right to claim a corresponding percentage of increase, and all employers the Tight to make a corresponding percentage of reduction when one is shown. This should be statutory on, say, all wages and salaries "up to an agree* amount per annum. The thing is to make wages no longef the elusive and fictitious thing they art at present. An adult man needs so much in the way of food, clothing, shelter, etc., per annum for himself and his family. Let us fix our standard 0! what is a fair thing, and below which no adult male worker's wage should go. Work it all out in the actual real things the man should be able to get —so many pounds of flour, so much meat, so many articles of clothing, a house of such and such a size, so much for doctor's 'bills, insurance, amusements, etc. Then every three months let us have the Govtjmment Statistician figure it out on the then current prices, and tell us eviJry quarter what wage is neceseary to provide these things. Let that wage be enforceable throughout the community as the minimum below which no adult worker Shall go, and give all workers throughout the country the right to the same increase -whenever an increase is shown, and all employers the right t» make the same deduction whenever rt decrease is shown. The thing • should be done automatically without the waste and friction of all theipte'sent..prolonged disputesin every walk of life. It is real things we all want in return for our labour, and not steadily depreciating pieces of piper that purchase less every time ire-get them. In time such a basis of wages would be of value in simplifying wage bargaining. With the minimum definitely fixed in real wages it would be a simple matter for workers in more skilled occupations, etc., to stipulate for wages so much per cent, above the Tninimum standard. ThU percentage would be maintained automatically with the quarterly revaluations of the minimum, and it would only be necessary to open negotiations for increases when it was desired to increase the standard of living.—l am, etc.,